Muziris Heritage Tourism

The Government of Kerala has been contemplating the creation of the Muziris Heritage Project from 2006. However, realizing its potential impact, the Government has initiated and ambitious project to encompass a larger area including North Paravur and Kodungallur Taluks, which have various protected monuments.

The Muziris Heritage Site (MHS) stretches across from the two municipalities of North Paravur in Ernakulam District to that of Kodungallur in Thrissur District and includes four Panchayats in Ernakulam District, which are Chendamangalam, Chittattukara, Vadakekkara, Pallipuram, and two Panchayts in Thrissur District, namely Azhikode and Methala. Although a large number of pilgrims visit the various temple, churches and mosques during the festivals, the number of tourists who presently visit the protected monuments are few. However, Cherai Beach, in the project area is a major tourist destination.

Muziris Heritage Project

In 1341, the profile of the water bodies in the Periyar River basin, on the Malabar Coast in Kerala underwent a major transformation. The prosperous city-port of Muziris, at the mouth of the Periyar, overlooking the Arabian Sea, suddenly dropped off the map, due to a flood or earthquake, or both. Muziris was silted over and its site was left to conjecture. The excavation by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), in 2007
& 2008 unearthed valuable information that threw light on its location and more. The archaeological and historical data gathering on “Muziris” since then, provides further evidence to show that it was a veritable business and cultural centre, with far reaching international associations. It is found that, Through the Muziris trade channels, the people of South India were afforded connections and opportunities with many civilizations in Western Asia, the Near East, Europe and further. This excavation project has proved tobe a turning point, as the wealth of information now available is not only on the port, but also on its hinterland, the whole Periyar Basin, and the historic towns of Kodungallur, Pattanam and Paravur.